There are few things I enjoy more than talking about food.

When I heard that David Lebovitz, pastry chef author of The Sweet Life In Paris, was speaking at the American Library of Paris I knew I had to go.

When I found out that Dorie Greenspan, who wrote Paris Sweets, as well as Alexander Lobrano, author of Hungry for Paris (The Ultimate Guide to the City’s 102 Best Restaurants), would be there as well I knew I was in for a good evening.

I admire all of these food writers, all of whose books seemed to have fallen into my hands lately.

After spying Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris in the bookstore in Canada, I told myself to wait and left it on the shelf.  Then one day, after I had been having a terrible time waitressing, I found it sitting on the kitchen table with a small baking dish and a thoughtful note from my boyfriend.  I had never mentioned the book, but he researched online for something I would enjoy and came up with the one book I had wanted all summer.

As for the other two books, I found Paris Sweets on one of the beds upstairs at Shakespeare & Company, the coziest English bookstore where the upstairs is designated to reading rather than buying.  I got comfortable and lost myself in Greenspan’s descriptions of the butter cookies at Poilane.  I thought to myself ‘Wow, I like this woman.’  As for Hungry for Paris, it just happened to have been left in my apartment, and I discovered it one evening while hunting for restaurants.

I enjoyed a long walk to the library from my apartment this evening, and stopped in a brasserie beforehand to work on some writing.  I had a strong glass of red wine from the South alongside a perfect salade nicoise before making my way down to the library.  The place was full, but I still managed to grab a glass of wine and a seat in the front row.

Dorie Greenspan was the first to speak.  She is a petite, lovely, eloquent woman who also happens to be a special correspondent for Bon Appétit, and a cookbook author who has written two cookbooks with friend Pierre Hermé.  Needless to say, I am in awe of this woman.

The first thing she talked about was the strawberry tart that changed her life.  When she first came to Paris she had a tart with fraises au bois so perfect, as they tend to be, that she decided to return as soon as possible.

She also talked about every bite of a French pastry being a bite of history.  The recipes for French pastries have been passed on from generation to generation. Pierre Hermé himself is a fourth generation pastry chef.

Alec Lebrano is not a pastry chef, but knows how to appreciate them.  He spoke about his first visit to Paris as a young boy, and visiting La Dureé on his first day with his mother, then feigning sick the next day and going twice on his own.  When he returned as a man years later, the lovely relationship with the famous pastry shop continued.

David Lebovitz spoke about the standards rising for American customers, who have a much more educated palate these days then they used to.  Frozen fries and soggy salads won’t cut it for tourists anymore, and the French are upping their quality.

There was a lot of discussion about the difference between American and French pastries in the question and answer part of the evening.  A major difference mentioned was that a lot of American pastries are made with corn syrup and lower quality ingredients.  In France, the butter is divine and real sugar is used.  There is no skimping anywhere.

People come from all over the world to taste the pastries in Paris.  Even though I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, I love to admire the mini works of art, and find that eating a Pierre Hermé macaron is the most sensual experience I’ve ever had with food.

Greenspan said it best when she said “It is something to be savored, intellectually, visually, but mostly through taste.”

It was a rich evening and I took notes on a few pastry shops to try.  I walked home in the dark, the Eiffel tower glowing and the Louvre lit up inside.

It is nice to spend time in a city where history is everywhere, whether it’s in the buildings, the museums or even in your favorite pastry.

Homemade map to get me to the library


Les bouquinistes


The Sweet Life in Paris, signed by David Lebovitz